Horse walkers - benefits???

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pipper

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I am seriously considering getting a horse walker installed. We seem to have accumulated many horses over the years and have a groom/rider to help out on a daily basis. But now my sister is considering starting a family (may even be in the family way!!!) So she will be restricted in what she can do for a while.
Are they beneficial? If so please tell me - also tell me of the down sides too!!!
Many thanks
 
Yes I find ours is beneficial, I don't put Leo on for long but it helps keep his fitness up if I don't have time for riding for example, you can put them on while you muck out. Also good if the weather is bad and turnout is restricted, we've got a rubber matted floor in it so its non slip, also useful when it's wet :)
 
Tinsel Town said:
Yes I find ours is beneficial, I don't put Leo on for long but it helps keep his fitness up if I don't have time for riding for example, you can put them on while you muck out. Also good if the weather is bad and turnout is restricted, we've got a rubber matted floor in it so its non slip, also useful when it's wet :)
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I loved ours, when we had a yard; great for warming up and cooling down, too, and steady walking when recovering from an injury.

The downsides seem to be about the surface the horse walks on - if indoors, I would use rubber matting. You do have to be careful to work both sides the same - I always used to alternate the direction daily. The paddles should be secure, obviously. Ours were mesh on top, with rubber matting the rest of the way (I suppose about knee height on a horse). That way, legs couldn't get caught.

Sweeping them can be a chore, as the paddles are hard to push manually and if you put it on whilst cleaning, you get swept along (manys the time I saw my brush, fork and bucket disappearing away from me as the paddles took them ona little journey around the walker!)
 
Don't know how we lived without ours! Have had it about eight years and gets a good pounding every day! We have nine horses in work and they all get 45 minutes walking on it daily while we muck out etc before we start riding. Most of our liveries use it too, either regularly or from time to time. Its good for warming up, cooling off, taking freshness off ;), maintaining fitness and can replace the first weeks of walking when bringing a horse back into work, also great for any prescribed walking exercise as coming off boxrest etc. It's been invaluable throughout all the snow and ice and have had it going nearly all day every day. My advice would be buy the biggest you can afford as you don't want them turning on a small circle constantly day in day out, ours is 18m diameter so quite big. Also, budget for a proper surface. We tried to economise originally and had sand (on concrete base), which was a nightmare in terms of maintenance, then rubber chips added, nightmare too. Gave in about three years ago and rubber paved it - best thing I ever did. Would thoroughly recommend Kylix walkers, big and open, very safe and excellent computer system so can have six different programmes set up (you choose speeds / direction and input yourself), wide walkways so can self turn and can work on both reins (only downside is that will be much more expensive to floor as walkways so wide). Also economical in comparison to some other makes. They are a big investment but don't think you would regret it. In case you hadn't guessed I really would recommend :)
 
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